Tentacle and Wing

July 15, 2017
Ada Lahey has been carrying a secret all of her life, one her father has helped her to keep: though she appears to be a brown-skinned human, 12-year-old Ada is a chimera with infrared vision, seeing hues that others don't. This secret is exposed during a random health check at school, when a DNA test reveals her to be a kime. Possibly the result of a mysterious genetic experiment gone awry, kimes are believed to be infectious, even causing death to "normal" humans. Ada is taken from her parents and housed in a Long Island facility with other kime children, who exhibit a variety of animallike features. At first appearance, the quarantined compound seems a safe haven from those who want them all dead. However, shortly after arriving, Ada begins to suspect that the adults in charge have a sinister agenda that involves plans for what this new species of human children could become. Ada soon learns that the strange hues she sees are actually intelligent and may hold the key to the destiny of all of the chimera children. Ada's snarky personality, conveyed in her likable, present-tense voice, lightens the mood of this dark yet mystical story. It's set against the current backdrop of climate change, imagining the evolution of humans into a new species (with a little tinkering from scientists). An inventive, charming tale with a strange mix of science and fantasy. (Science fiction. 10-12)

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July 1, 2017

Gr 5-7-Twelve-year-old Ada's greatest secret has been revealed after a surprise test at school. She is a chimera, or "kime," born with human and animal DNA, the result of an experiment gone horribly wrong. She has infrared vision and can see various colors floating around objects. The rest of the world fears kimes, and as a result, Ada is in danger of being hunted or worse. Ada is forced to leave her life behind. She is quarantined at the Genesis Institute with others who are like her. Ada soon finds herself surrounded by all sorts of chimera: a boy whose skin changes color, a girl with dragonfly wings, a boy with seal hands, and more. At first she struggles to fit in but soon meets friends. Ada begins to realize that Genesis may not be telling the children everything and may even be harboring a secret about the origins of the chimera. Young adult author Porter (Vassa in the Night) makes her middle grade debut with a well-written, engaging tale of friendship that is peppered with intrigue. VERDICT A strong purchase for readers who enjoy mysteries with fantasy elements.-William Anderson, Scott County Public Library, IN

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2017
Grades 4-7 Ada has always been differenther infrared vision sets her apartand she's always known to keep these differences a secret. Years ago, a genetic experiment went wrong, and the result was that some children were born with chimera syndrome, their DNA meshing with animal DNA; those that survived had altered appearances and enhanced skills. Ada, a rare kime who can pass for human, keeps her identity secret, as most people view the kimes with fear and disgust. After she's caught by a surprise DNA test, Ada is sent away to a quarantined school for kimes. The reception she receives there is mixedthese are children with jellyfish stingers, seal fur, and dragonfly eyes, and they don't all take kindly to the human-passing Ada. But the school holds secrets, and as tensions mount between kimes and humans, Ada finds herself caught up in the mystery. This is a STEM-inspired adventure that focuses just as much on tolerance as it does on environmental responsibility and evolution. Animal-lovers and sci-fi addicts will be hooked.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2018
When mixed-race girl Ada's infrared vision is discovered, she's sent away to the Genesis Institute with the other "kimes" (short for chimeras), all born with one or more nonhuman chromosome. Suspense builds as Ada uses her unique abilities to unravel the mystery surrounding kimes' emergence in the society. The story's sci-fi internal logic could be clearer, but the intricate dystopian setting is strong.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)